Phillies Nation

The fan favorite known to his family and friends as “J-Bone” is back with another inside look at his progress to begin a new season. Right-handed reliever Justin De Fratus shares his thoughts, exclusively with PhilliesNation.com once again, from Clearwater, FL.

The 24-year-old hurler, who was selected in the 11th round of the 2007 draft, went 6-3 with 15 saves, a 2.99 ERA and 99 strike outs in 75 1/3 innings in his time with Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley last year before making his big league debut in September and holding opponents to a .083 batting average in 5 appearances. Heading forward, De Fratus, a native of Oxnard, CA, hopes to be an impact contributor in the Phillies bullpen for years to come.

In the latest edition of The J-Bone Zone, Justin discusses his recovery from elbow soreness this spring, his plans to compete in game action, the always dreaded cuts days in minor league camp and much more. Read ahead to get in the Zone.

On the current state of his right elbow, which kept him out of action for roughly a month…

I feel really good. I feel as close to normal, if not as normal as I can. I feel completely healthy right now. And this is a little bit of a spring training, since I didn’t get one. I’ve thrown two bullpens so far and they’ve been good. The ball’s coming out well. I haven’t thrown any breaking pitches yet. I’ve been throwing all fastballs. It’s been going good and I am excited with where I am right now. Continue reading De Fratus Checks In: What’s Next, Cut Days, Fantasy Drafting

Early Sunday morning, the following players were informed that the Phillies no longer required their services: Luis Unda, Ian Durham, Paul Cusick, Chase Johnson, Juary Gomez and Rye Davis.

Unda (pictured, right), a 22-year-old infielder had been signed by the Phillies in 2008 and played as high as Class A Lakewood, where he went 0-for-8 in 3 games played last season. The Venezuelan native was a member of the Phils’ championship Gulf Coast League team in 2010.

Durham, a 23-yar-old righty pitcher, went 1-0 with a 3.62 ERA and 2 saves in 18 appearances for the Gulf Coast League Phillies last year.

Cusick, a 23-year-old right-hander, was drafted by the Phillies last year. In 18 combined appearances (1 start) with the GCL team and Williamsport in 2011, the University of Penn product went 3-2 with a 3.79 ERA.

Johnson (pictured), a righty reliever that was selected in the 21st round of the 2009 draft, had a respectable season with Class A Lakewood in 2011 (4-6 record, 4.31 ERA, .268 batting average against). As the closer for short-season Williamsport in 2010, Johnson was a New York-Penn League All-Star.  Johnson will turn 24 years old next month.

Gomez, a native of Venezuela, had a very good campaign last year for Williamsport, as the team’s closer. In 28 relief appearances, Gomez went 4-1 with 10 saves and a 2.84 ERA. The right-hander was signed by the Phillies back in 2008. Gomes turns 22-years-old in May.

Davis, a Western Kentucky grad, was also signed as a non-drafted free agent last year. In 17 combined relief outings with the GCL team and Lakewood, he posted a 1-1 record with 2 saves and a 2.33 ERA. Davis turned 23 years old over the off-season.

Keep it locked right here for breaking news at all levels of the Philadelphia organization.

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Jay Floyd is PhilliesNation’s minor league insider.  You can read more from Jay by visiting his site, PhoulBallz.com.

You know him, you adore him and Justin De Fratus is back in the J-Bone Zone. The righty reliever joins PhilliesNation.com live and direct, once again, from Clearwater, FL to offer his thoughts from inside Phillies spring training.

The 24-year-old reliever went 6-3 with 15 saves, a 2.99 ERA and 99 strike outs in 75 1/3 innings in his time with Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley last year before making his big league debut in September and holding opponents to a .083 batting average in 5 appearances. Heading forward, De Fratus, an 11th round draft choice in 2007, hopes to be an impact contributor in the Phillies bullpen for years to come.

In the latest edition of The J-Bone Zone, Justin talks about the status of his elbow, what being ranked highly on prospect lists means to him, the team’s mentality on hazing younger players and more. Read ahead for another edition of The J-Bone Zone.

On the status of his improving elbow, which was sore and kept him out of action for a few weeks (Justin began a throwing program a week ago)…

So far, everything feels good. I went out there (on Monday) and did 60 throws and it was fine. It’s hard though, because I want to throw and I really want to get after it, but each time I gotta realize that my goal is to get healthy and not run into the same problem again, so I’m taking it slowly. I didn’t have a long toss program (earlier in spring) because of the elbow soreness, so this is going to be my off-season throwing, pretty much. Continue reading The J-Bone Zone, Vol. 4: Elbow Status, PN Ranking, Hazing

Righty hurler Phillippe Aumont is the third prospect that the Phillies acquired in the December 2009 trade that sent Cliff Lee to Seattle to appear on this countdown. Upon joining the Phillies, organizational brass chose to switch the young reliever into a starting pitcher. Aumont would go on to struggle in that role, during his first season in the Philadelphia system, but has since gotten himself back on track in the bullpen, where he is most comfortable.

A first round draft choice (11th overall) by Seattle in 2007, Aumont was a highly regarded hurler when he was traded to Philadelphia. In two seasons in the Mariners’ system, Aumont tallied a 6-10 record, a 3.29 ERA and 18 saves in 59 games (8 starts). He also represented Seattle in the 2008 MLB All-Star Futures Game, although he did not appear in the exhibition.

In 2009, Aumont, who was a member of the Junior National Team for Canada in his teen years, pitched for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic. In one WBC outing, Aumont would retire MLB All-Stars David Wright, Kevin Youkilis and Curtis Granderson, in order, to escape a jam in a game against Team USA.

A native of Quebec, Aumont began his first season in the Phillies organization with Double-A Reading, in 2010 Continue reading Prospect Nation 2012: #4 RHP Phillippe Aumont

Righty hurler Justin De Fratus was selected in the 11th round in the 2007 amateur draft by the Phillies, and since then has been one of the organization’s most steady ascenders.

After signing his first pro contract in 2007, as a member of the rookie level Gulf Coast League Phillies, De Fratus posted a 2-3 record with a 4.30 ERA and a .273 batting average against in 10 games, 8 of which were starts.

The following season, the Oxnard, CA native pitched with the short season Low A Williamsport Crosscutters. In 14 games as a starter, the California native went 6-5 with a 3.67 ERA and a .260 batting average against.

In 2009, De Fratus was a key piece of the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws pitching staff, taking on both starting and relief duties. In 36 games (12 starts) that season, De Fratus went 5-6 with 3 saves, a 3.19 ERA and a .258 batting average against.

After beginning the 2010 regular season with Class A Advanced Clearwater and posting a 2-0 record with 15 saves and a 1.79 ERA in 29 games, De Fratus was promoted to Double-A Reading in early July. Over the last two months of the season, as a member of the R-Phils, he went 1-0 with 6 saves and a 2.19 ERA in 20 games. Combined at the two levels and pitching exclusively out of the bullpen, opponents batted .208 against De Fratus. Continue reading Prospect Nation 2012: #5 RHP Justin De Fratus

Right-handed pitcher Brody Colvin had a rather difficult time with Class A Advanced Clearwater in 2011 after making things looks easy with Class A Lakewood the previous year. After cruising through the South Atlantic League to the tune of a 6-8 record with a 3.39 ERA in 27 starts, Colvin’s output took a dive with a 3-8 record and a 4.71 ERA in 22 games (21 starts) against Florida State League competition in 2010.

While Colvin’s overall stats with Lakewood don’t scream for attention, he allowed 0 or 1 runs in 11 different starts in which he did not earn a win during the 2010 season, so it’s clear that Colvin’s lack of offensive support certainly impacted his win-loss record that year.

As a member of the Clearwater Threshers’ staff, Colvin was sidelined in the early going and spent time on the disabled list with a back injury. With some lasting effects of his ailment throughout the season, the St. Thomas More High School (LA) product had a difficult time feeling comfortable on the mound at times and served up a .289 batting average against and posted a 6.02 K/9 average, which were both considerable drop-offs from his previous season’s stats (.258 BAA, 7.82 K/9). Continue reading Prospect Nation 2012: #6 RHP Brody Colvin

Righty hurler Justin De Fratus, known to his brother Steven and those close to him as “J-Bone”, joins us live and direct, once again, from Clearwater, FL to offer his thoughts from inside Phillies spring training.

The 24-year-old reliever went 6-3 with 15 saves, a 2.99 ERA and 99 strike outs in 75 1/3 innings in his time with Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley last year before making his Major League debut in September and holding opponents to a .083 batting average in 5 appearances. Heading forward, De Fratus, an 11th round draft choice in 2007, hopes to be an impact contributor in the Phillies bullpen for years to come.

In the latest edition of The J-Bone Zone, Justin discusses sharing the big league spring training experience with close friends, the Phillies additions of veterans who might present a roadblock for younger prospects and plenty more. Read on for exclusive insider content direct from Florida.

On his ailing elbow that has him sidelined from throwing in the early going and how he’s keeping active…

My elbow is still a little sore and we’re really just trying to play it on the safe side right now. We just want to take it slow and really make sure that it’s ready to go. We don’t feel that it’s anything serious and there’s no reason to rush it right now being that it’s February. Trying to catch something before it gets too bad. Continue reading The J-Bone Zone, Vol. 2: Health, Friendships, Valle & Competition

Right-handed pitcher Julio Rodriguez has quietly become one of the Phillies’ most promising prospects in recent years. Without the hype and buzz that has surrounded other well-regarded youngsters within the Philadelphia organization, the Puerto Rican born hurler has proven himself worthy of being held in considerable regard by the Phils, their fans and talent evaluators alike.

Drafted in the 8th round of the 2008 amateur draft as a 17-year-old, Rodriguez made his professional debut that same year, throwing in 7 games with the Gulf Coast League Phillies. However, the 6-foot-4-inch 200-pounder struggled, as he sported a 12.19 ERA and a .383 batting average against.

The following season, back in the GCL, Rodriguez added some strength and made some serious improvements in the GCL, posting a 1-2 record with a 3.08 ERA and a .197 batting average against in 11 games (8 starts).

In 2010, as a 19-year-old, Rodriguez began the season in extended spring training, but joined the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws in May. He spent time with the short-season Williamsport Crosscutters as well that year, and finished with an overall record of 7-3 with a 1.89 ERA and a .175 batting average against in 20 outings (12 starts). Continue reading Prospect Nation 2012: #8 RHP Julio Rodriguez

Right-handed pitcher Jonathan Pettibone, a third round selection in the 2008 amateur draft, was among the excellent starting rotation with Class A Advanced Clearwater that became known as “The Baby Aces” last season. As he has taken strides to improve his skills, Pettibone has begun to earn an increased amount of recognition in the Philadelphia developmental ranks.

The 6-foot-5-inch 200-pound Pettibone made his pro debut with the Gulf Coast League Phillies in 2008, recording an inning of work. The following season, the Esperanza High School (California) product joined the starting rotation for the Williamsport Crosscutters of the short-season New York-Penn League. In 9 games, Pettibone went 2-4 with a lackluster 5.35 ERA and a .261 batting average against. He was then sidelined with an injury and missed time in the latter portion of the season.

In 2010, Pettibone improved his velocity and effectiveness by working closely with pitching coach Steve Schrenk to adjust his mechanics and extension. Pettibone’s results on the mound became increasingly solid as his remarkable campaign progressed. After posting a 5.04 ERA in 12 games through the end of June, Pettibone served up a 2.37 ERA over his final 12 appearances of the regular season with Class A Lakewood. That terrific performance down the stretch helped the club win its second straight South Atlantic League championship. Overall, Pettibone recorded an 8-6 record and finished among the league leaders in ERA with a 3.49 mark.

Continue reading Prospect Nation 2012: #9 RHP Jonathan Pettibone